Inside the containers opened by fiscal order were a wide range of infringing products: cryptocurrency mining machines, cattle prods, pepper spray, toys and cosmetics, among others.

 

The General Directorate of Customs and AFIP detected and prevented the entry into the market of 14 containers with 274 tons of illegal goods inside, which included, among other products, cryptocurrency mining machines, prods, pepper spray, toys, socks and cosmetics.

 

Thus, from the cross-checking of information, risk profiles, analysis of variables and data mining, it was possible to seize the smuggled cargo containers and the trademark fraud involved, with an estimated market value of the various goods of about 5.6 million dollars, about 850 million pesos, as officially reported.

 

The Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa; the director of the Federal Administration of Public Revenues (AFIP), Carlos Castagneto; and the head of the Customs General Directorate, Guillermo Michel, took part in the operation.

 

“The central objective is to protect the national industry. We see a lot of imports and contraband items hidden in other items,” Massa assured in statements to the press.

 

And he stated: “We need to take care of the dollars of the Argentine people, protect the reserves; give confidence, strength and credibility to our currency and that our industry does not have to compete with unfairly imported goods, with contraband”.

 

The products

 

Inside the containers opened by fiscal order there was a wide range of infringing products: cryptocurrency mining machines, prods, pepper spray, toys and cosmetics, among others.

 

Specifically, 342 cryptocurrency mining machines, 290 electric prods, 4,800 pepper gas containers, 428,548 makeup products, 456,510 cosmetic products, 20,880 clinical thermometers, 21,600 pre-graded glasses and 120,840 sunglasses were seized.

 

Also seized were 79,176 toys, 3,000 phone cases, 34,500 containers of cockroach killer, 5,200 joysticks for video games, 34,901 articles of clothing and 374,200 cables for cell phone chargers and headphones.

 

“These actions make me proud because they protect the national industry and put a stop to unfair competition. Customs will continue to put a stop to everything that goes against the transparency of international trade”, said Michel, who congratulated the agents involved and highlighted the impact of the operation.

 

On his part, Castagneto stated: “For us there are no Saturdays or Sundays: we want an AFIP that works everywhere, with the joint effort of its three general directorates and the Ministry of Economy. The time of the living is over”.

 

Luciano Galfione, president of Fundación Pro Tejer; Emmanuel Poletto and Julián Benitez, president and manager, respectively, of the Argentine Chamber of the Toy Industry; Norberto Fermani, president of Cadioca (Argentine Chamber of Optical Industries); Enrique Caride, Gustavo Giay and Nicolás Sarapura, president, member and vice-president, respectively, of the Anti-Piracy Association; Marcelo Fernandez, president of Cgera; and Daniel Rosato, president of Industriales Pymes Argentinos (IPA).

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